Ditch-maintaining drag



Aug. 2, 1927.

D.'ATK|NS, JR., ET AL.

DITCH MAINTAINING DRAG Filed July 19, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 )A/l/ENTQRS Dad/6y A fk/ns Jz Fran /r 0, A ndcrson.

Ever 5 Lindsey.

A TTORNE-V Aug. 2, 1927.

D. ATKINS, JR, ET'AL DI TCH MAINTAINI NG DRAG Filed July 19, 1926 2 sheets-sheet 2 Maj/T055 Hadley A flu/75.]:

Frank 0. Anderson Eye eff E. L I'Ha'se A TTORNE Y I DUDLEY ATKINS, an, FRANK o.

Patented Aug. 2, 1927.

UNITED TATES PATENT OFFICE,

ANDERSON, AND EVERETT E. LINDSEY, F MINNE- APOLIS, KANSAS. I

DITCH-MAINTAINING DRAG.

Application'file d ma 19,

Ourinvention relates to ditch maintain mg drae's and more particularlyto an adof the main roadway embankment. These slopes are supposed to be substantially unitorn'ily inclined planes. In constriicting these ditches. large power pulledgraders with adjustableblades are provided fork):- c-avating the ditches. Atter thesamc have been excavated, however, it is necessary to provide some economical nieansoi' keeping the same tree of earth and plantgrowth and to ieplacethe damage done by waterin washing down the slopes and to provide 'means for bringing earth out of the ditch thathas been blown or washed into thesan'ie and replacing the earth on the roadway. It is a purpose of our invention to provide means for doing this. I

Preferably our improved ditch maintainer comprises a body portionthat serves as a runner portion for guiding the ditch main taining' drag in the bottom of the ditchyand blade portions that extend obliquely rela-' tiveto the runner portions transversely of the same, PIOJGCUDQ ti-om opposite sides thereof in afforward direction from the runn'e'r portion on one side thereof and in w rearward direction from the runner port-ion on the other side thereof. Means is thus provided for guiding the body portion alongthe bottom ofthe ditch, along with means for moving material from one side of the" ditch toward the botton'i,"nieans for moving the material. frointhe bottom of the ditch toward'the' other sidethereof andfn'ieans for moving'the material alongsaid other side of the ditch awayfrom the bottom of the ditch toward the roadway. I

Preferably our improved ditch maintaining drag comprises a blade mounted in'the forward endof the runner portion extend in; obliquely transversely'ot the same and a pair of-adjustable bladesextending-one forwardly from said first mentioned blade and the other re'arwar'dly therefrom at an oblique angle and also being inclined up- 1926." Se'rial'No. 123,297,

war'dly at an oblique angle relative to the runner portionb The blade on the runner portion thuls cuts and fills the bottom of the ditch into a substantially horizontal plane surface,- and the adjustable, laterally extending-blades plane off the high places and fill in the lower places in the two slopes to thus smooth the same out into a pair of substantially uniform inclined planes -Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear as the descript-ion'of the accompanying drawings proceeds. However, we desire to have it distinctly under stood that we do not intend to limit ourselves tothe exact details shown or described. but that we intend to include as part of our invention all such obvious changes and modifications of parts as would occur to a person skilled in this art'and as would fall within the scope of theclaims.

In t-hedrawingsz Fig. 1 is a perspective view of our improved ditch maintaining drag, showingr the same in position in a ditch.

. 2 is a plan View thereof.

F1g'.3 is'a side elevation otthe drag as viewed from one side'thereof.

Fig. l is a view similar to Fig.3, as viewed' from the other side thereof.

Fig. 5 is aview partly in elevation and partly in section of one of the bracing ele ments employed in the device, showing: the ball. memberat one end thereof spaced therefrom. e j

Fig. 6 is (i "perspective view ofthe socket member employed, showing the parts of the, socket member separated and a" fragment of bracing member associated therewith, and I Fig. 7 is a fragmentary perspective view of the adjoining portions of one of the bracing members, showing the means for detachably connecting the same.

Referringin detail to the drawings:

- Our improved ditch maintaining drag preferably comprises a bOdy portion having the longitudinally extending runners 10 whiclr'are connected by means otthe transversely extending bracing members 11 which may be seated in grooves 12 in the members 10 and held in position by means of thestaybolts 18. At the forward end of the runner 1.0. isprovided a transw'mrsely extendingmember 14 which extends at an oblique angle to the members 10, the members being suitably beveled at the scraping edge the bottom corner thereof.

lhe member l l may be secured to the longitndinally extending members 10 by means of the strap iron member 6 which is secured to ie members 10 and ilby any suitable fastening elements 17. Certain of sa' l tastening elements 17 also secure the strap portions 18 ot the hinges 19 to the members 10, said hinges 19 also being proyidedwith the strap portions 20 which are secured to the laterally extending wings 21 and 22 that entendon opposite sides oi the main body portion of the drag being svingingly connected with the members 10 by means or the hinges 19. The members '2land 22 are provided respectively with metal plates and 24L which extend to the lower edges there to reinforce the same and provide a siarp corner at the lower edge of said members.

'The member 24 preferably extol ds laterally beyond the end of the member 22 as indi cated at and the members and preterably extend upwardly an olslir ue angle relative to the n'iember t the main body portion of the drag, the hinges l9 being applied in such a manner as toniake this possible. V r

Mounted on the outer taco of one of the members 10 is a bracketmember 26 which n'iay be made of strap iron and which is socured to the side lace oi the member 10 in any desired manner, as by means of the tastoning elements 27. 'A bracket member 28,

which is constructed in a similar manner and secured in a similar manner to the rear face of the member 21, is provided on said member 21 and is mounted in such a manner that a flat face on the bracket 28 extends toward a flat taco on the bracket 26. Socket forming plates 29 are mounted on said flat faces of the bracket 28 and 26, being secured together by any suitable fastening means extending through the openings 30 therein and having a spheroidal recess 31 therein forming a part of a socket. Secured to the plates 29 are complementary plates 82 which have openings 83 aligning with the openings 30 and which have outwardly struck spherical portions which are adapted to align with the recesses 31 to thus provide a socket member on each of the brackets 26 and 28 when the fastening means are passed through the openings 33 and 30. A central opening 86 is provided in each of the members 35 through which the stem portion 37' or" a brace member extends said portion 37 having a ball end 38 thereon that is adapted to turn in the socket described above so as to provide what is subtantially a universal joint at each end of he bracc'member. Gne of the stem portions 7 ot the brace member is provided with a c w threaded extension 39 while the other m to rtion is provided-with an opening el adapted to align with an opening ,1

tubular bracket member 47 and socket forming n 4-8 on the member and another snmlar brace adpistabie in a similar manner and indicated by the numeral ll extends between a bracket member 50 on the upper portion of the member 21 and to a slniilar bracket member 51 on the upper edge portion of the member the'ball and socket joint at the ends oi said brare member being constructed in the same manner as defer. 'bed above and the adjustbeing" obtained in a similar manner to i The openings and oed above. nod when the device is assembled, i extended through said opendctachably secure the parts of the "o i racing members together. In caseit is desued to pass me obstruction such as a culvert, along the ditch, allthat is necessary to remove one or more of the pins 52 to permit the swinging of either the member 21 or the member22 or both of the same into sub stantiallv parallelism to the side members 10. I

An eye bolt 55 which is provided with threaded end portion 5% extending through one of the members 11 and which is held in position by means of the nut 55 engaging against the washer 56, extends through the member i l, the eye 5'7 thereon lying on the outside of said member substantially midway between the members 10 so as to be substantial y on the center line of the device, and a washer 58 being mounted between the eye and the member 1%. The eye 57 is provided for attaching any desired draft means thereto, such as horses or a power operated means although preferably the device is horse drawn, as it is light in construction and can be readily pulled by horses.

It will be obvious that by adjusting the members d3 on the braces 45 Q6 and 49, any desired angularity of the members 21 and 22 relative to the body portion of the device can be obtained with the member 21 always extending at an oblique angle forwardly of the member 14 and the member 22 always extending at an oblique'angle rearwardly from the member 14, the brace 49 along with the members 4-5 and 46 preventing upward tilting of the members 21 and 22 and'also maintaining the desired angular relation be tween the same. l l

lVhat we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a device of the character described,

a longitudinally extending runner portion having an obliquely extending blade at the forward end thereof, a blade on one side of said runner portion extending. laterally and forwardly at an oblique angle to said runner portion and a blade on the other sideof said runner portion extending laterally and I rearwardly fromthe forward end of said runner portion at an oblique angle.

2. In a device of the character described,

a longitudinally extending runner portion having an obllquelyextending blade at the forward end thereof, a blade on one side of said runner port-ion extending laterallyfand forwardly at an'oblique angle to said runner portion and a blade on the other side of said runner portion extending laterally and rearwardly from the forward end of said runner portion at an oblique angle, said laterally extending blades "being inclined upwardly from said runner portion.

3. In a device of the character described,

a longitudinally extending runner portion having an obliquely extending blade at the forward end thereof, a blade on one side of said runner portion extendinglaterally and forwardlyat an oblique angle to said runner portion and a blade on the other side of said runner portion extending laterally and rearwardly from the forward end of said runner portion at an oblique angle, said laterally extending blades being inclined upwardly from said runner portion at an oblique angle, the angularity of said later-e ally extending blades being adjustable;

In adevice of the character described,

a longitudinally extending runner portion having an obliquely extendingblade at the forward end thereof, a blade on one side of said runner portion extending laterally and forwardly at an oblique angle to said run-e ner portion, a blade on the other side of said runner portion extending laterally and rearwardly from the forward endof said runner portion at an oblique angle, braces extending between said runner portion and said laterally extending bladesand braces be tween said laterally extending blades. e 5. In a device of the character described, a longitudinally extending runner portion having an obliquely extending blade at the forward end thereof, a blade on oneside of saidrunner portion extending laterally and forwardly atan oblique angle to said runner portion, blade on the other side of said runner portion extending laterally and rearwardly from the forward end of said runner portion at an oblique angle, adjustable braces extending between said runner porlaterally extending blades and braces be tween said laterally extending blades, said braces having universal connections with said blades and runner portion.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures. I

DUDLEY ATKINS, JR. FRANK O. ANDERSON. EVERETT E. LINDSEY. 

